NPS shutters DC's Dupont Circle for WorldPride festival
Celebrations for an international LGBTQ+ pride event in the nation's capital Saturday won't include a storied gathering spot for gay rights.
The National Park Service closed Dupont Circle from Thursday to Sunday, for the duration of the WorldPride parade and street festival, at the request of the Park Police. Officials justified the decision by pointing to vandalism at the park in prior years.
Kevin Griess, the superintendent for the National Mall and Memorial Parks, wrote in a record of decision Thursday that the Park Police believed the closure was needed to 'deter potential violence, reduce the risk of destructive acts and decrease the need for extensive law enforcement presences.'
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The decision also underscores the park service's efforts to comply with President Donald Trump's 'Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful' mandate earlier this year that called for increased law enforcement presence on federal property in the city.
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